IOGKF Newsletter

December 2010

END OF YEAR MESSAGES FROM IOGKF SENIOR INSTRUCTORS:

Sensei Tetsuji Nakamura – IOGKF World Vice-Chief
Instructor:

When I look back on the year 2010, there were many memorable events.
We started 2010 with a Chief Instructor Gasshuku in Okinawa in February,
where many country chief’s and senior members of IOGKF gathered
and trained together under the guidance of Higaonna Sensei.
In April Higaonna Sensei visited Argentina (Chief Instructor, Sensei
Gustavo Tata) for the South American Gasshuku where many IOGKF members
attended and event was a big success. Higaonna Sensei also
visited Fuzhou, China in April for further research of Goju-Ryu’s
history as well as spreading Goju-Ryu in Fuzhou – the place where
the roots of our style originate. In June Higaonna Sensei
came to Spokane, USA for the Miyagi Chojun Festival. It was
organized by the new IOGKF USA chief instructor, Sensei Gene Villa.
Many IOGKF North American members showed up and supported their
new leader in USA. In July, IOGKF Denmark (Chief Instructor
Sensei Henrik Larsen) organized the biggest ever IOGKF European
Gasshuku, with over 700 IOGKF members participating. In October,
IOGKF South Africa (Chief Instructor Sensei Bakkies Laubscher) organized
an IOGKF World Event, which included a Chief Instructor Gasshuku,
World Gasshuku and a World Tournament. The event was a great
success. The name of the South African event was called "UBUNTU",
which means in African "a person is a person through other people"
- an ethical or humanist philosophy focusing on people's allegiances
and relations with each other (no man is an island). It well
represents the idea of IOGKF International as "One Big Family".
And all this is just a summary of the big events in 2010!
We also had many local events in each country and region.

IOGKF International is getting stronger every year. I would
like to thank all chief instructors and members for their hard work
and commitment to protect and spread Okinawan Goju-Ryu. I
wish all our members and their families good health and prosperity
in the year 2011.

Another ‘action packed’ year literally sped past with full technical
programs in most countries and a lot of travelling for senior instructors
and members to attend the various activities. I saw great
things happen with major technical advances in the IOGKF, with seminars
all over the world to help spread the art and teachings of our founder.

We also witnessed the fast changing world in which we live!
From a human perspective we experienced political, financial, and
social changes with the ugly face of global military actions becoming
a greater reality. From an environmental or nature perspective,
we had volcano’s erupting, floods, bushfires, climate variations,
etc. All the above mentioned affects us and affects the way
we think and react. Because of the internet and television
bringing these situations really close to us in our own homes, we
do sometimes get the feeling that we are in the centre of it all,
which can lead to fear and despondency – the GIGA syndrome: ‘Garbage
In(-to your mind), Garbage Out(in your thoughts and actions)!’

Now is the time to regroup our minds by getting off our hamster
wheels and just enjoy the company of our friends and families –
if we change the input from ‘Garbage’ to ‘Love and Care
for each other’, we’ll be surprised at the output: ‘Love
and Care for each other In = Love and care for each other Out =
Love and care coming back to you!’

It is your attitude towards life, which will determine life's
attitude towards you. Despite many people's belief to the contrary,
life plays no favourites (Anonymous).

My sincerest thanks for your friendship and support and I wish
you and your families a very prosperous and happy Festive Season
and future!

Bakkies Laubscher and Family

Sensei Katsuya Yamashiro – IOGKF International
Chairman

To all IOGKF members,

There is now only little time left in this year, which has had many
wonderful things take place.
One could spend a year talking about them. I express my sincere
thanks for the generous support of everybody involved in IOGKF International
and above all to Higaonna Sensei, who’s guidance and attention to
details is the correct way to care for our Karate. I am very grateful.

I look forward to seeing everyone next year in 2011!

Yamashiro Katsuya

Chairman IOGKF

Sensei George Andrews –
IOGKF Senior Instructor

This year seems to have flown by and 2011 is just around the
corner, the message I send to you all is “Live for today” because
nothing is for certain, so enjoy your life while you can and do
things that help you achieve happiness and friendship.

‘Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value’ -
Albert Einstein